In recent years, technology has permeated nearly every aspect of human life. Now, it’s helping create equity in (and outside of) the classroom among students with disabilities.
The percentage of students with disabilities has risen significantly as we get better at identifying challenges in learning. According to the National Education Association, 15% of children enrolled in public schools– about 7.2 million kids– currently receive special education services.
Assistive Technology is an umbrella term for any technology used to support learning or other activities of daily life. Examples of Assistive Technology could be as low-tech as a simple timer to helps a student remain on task, or higher tech, like text-to-speech software to support students who struggle with reading. Below, a round-up of apps and programs that help students with learning disabilities.
Co:Writer is an app that supports students who struggle with writing. The app includes tools like word prediction, speech recognition and flexible spelling to recognize spelling errors. This app, and others like it, help students with dyslexia, a language processing disorder which affects a student’s ability to read, write and interpret; as well as dysgraphia, a learning disability that affects a student’s ability to spell, type and write by hand.
Book Creator is a digital publishing app that’s loaded with accessibility features. Designed by parents of a child with dyslexia, features include Open Dyslexic font, a font specifically designed to be easier to read for those with dyslexia, and a read mode, where digital books can be read in different languages.
Microsoft’s Immersive Reader, which is incorporated into many Microsoft programs, including Microsoft Word, supports reading through text decoding, read aloud, and a picture dictionary, among other tools. Students are also able to customize the way that text appears on their screen, which can enhance focus for students with dyslexia or ADHD.
Dyscalculia is a group of learning disabilities relating to calculating and math. Microsoft’s Math Solver assists students by breaking down complex math problems into more manageable steps. ModMath is a free app for use on iPads, and like Book Creator, it was designed by the parents of a child with a learning disability.
For students with low vision, Microsoft and Google both have features that support a braille display device, which connects with computers and translates text into braille. Microsoft’s app Seeing AI uses a smartphone camera to scan the environment, then offer information about the place the user is in. The app can also be used for scanning and translating a document, recognizing people in the area, and reading handwritten text.
We’re proud that our partners, Microsoft and Google, have worked to increase inclusivity in their technology, as well as within their companies. Microsoft, Google, Dell and HP have all launched initiatives to hire more workers who are neurodiverse. Dell and HP both have programs specifically dedicated to hiring people with autism.
If you’re interested in learning more about increasing inclusivity in the classroom, check out The Nora Project, a nonprofit that aims to promote disability inclusion by training teachers.